What makes a good post
What makes a good post? General * length -- all lengths are alright. be careful to split posts alongissue lines to make it easier to link to... Meta * headline -- there's more than one way to do it! keep it short; having location and topic is important. humor is often useful... * lead-in -- context and mystery combined. intro context is inmportant; don't make it a compete mystery to people outside the country, include what local audiences all know. * intro -- never be afraid to tell what someone doesn't know to help understand. context can't be wrong... never a waste of space. a long intro to a short quote is fine. * updates -- you can update the rifrst, or write a second with a link from the original. If you're worried about libel, &c, go immediatly to regional editors, they may contact georgia or rachel. something libellous should be taken down immediately. Linking * links to sources is good, in many ways * no reason not to link to one's own blogs; no need to be excessive, but drawing together of threads and arguments at more length could sit well with the posts of others on GV * linking to youtube, et al is fine. you're welcome to embed videos in the posts if they are citizen's video. if it's a disney cartoon, don't embed it; this is a citizen's site. Video * (see youtube not above) * Sameer: haven't systematically downloaded videos. I don't want to link to video or content that seems to endanger someone. * Georgia likes post with overly freeform relationship b/t text and media file * How to choose who to quote and how and to what extent? Selection Rgional editors : how do they select? * Neha - whatever catchesa my eye are culled out; marked for later on. Then I read through those closely, and find the best to put into a post. * Nathan - much like Neha; it comes down to 10-20 that I really like; ther's not a lot of comm across the region. I especially lookfor things you won't find anywhere lse; interesting presonal, political relevant; whateveer it happens to be that day. * Amira - - you have an enormous region. 'The only thing I can do with a computer is switch it on.. .I don't know anything about aggregators, bloglines, that's all. I know how to write and read. so everything is manual; it takes a very very very long time. I have a lot of things bookmarked and just have to open them one by one, and just read... then I don't have a job, so - it tkaes 2 days to do all that. I try to be as objevtive as possible, and soemtimes there is a topic that really wrrants the whole topic; just that. So I try to find as many that I can which talk about that topoic, and tailor-make the article to fit it. Sometimes you can't help that. You don't have a topic. then I try to read as many blogs as I can. See Egypt recently with a lot of bloggers, sexual harassment issues; I tried to put them in th background; I don't want to seem biased to Egypt when there are 20 other countries. I woudl normally do more posts, but it's not physically possible. - I'd love to help Amira! :) Structure * Picture inclusion. * Transitions. Stylistic devices : bold, sub-headings If you're bridging two topics, you could make one related to the second. Or talk in a vacuum - 'meanwhile back at the ranch'... I'm big on subheadings. Easier for the reader, also. * Short paragraphs read well. * Balance * Information links * Ending: ending quotes work great if close. end as soon as you can once you've captured the essence. Be sure to have a conclusion; don't just drop off and disappear. Post types * single focus vs. conversations * overview posts of region; variety. Personality * Humanisaiton, rel'nship with bloggers & interviews * Fun, Personality * impartiality/fairness.